Entertainment

The 8 Best Video Game Scripts of All Time

Best Video Game Writing

1. Portal and Portal 2

Valve’s video game Portal has gotten accolades for all facets of design, from characters to music to puzzles. It’s also been dubbed the "best game of all time" by some critics. The writing played a big part in setting the tone of the game. GLaDOS’ snarky guidance through the levels skewers corporate culture in a darkly hilarious fashion. Plus, once you’ve played through the whole game, the final song will delight you.

The fun continues in Portal 2. The writing team brought the same laconic tone to the new script, as you can hear above.

2. Half-Life 2

What can we say? Valve really values good writing. Half-Life 2 was a revolutionary shooter for its time. While Gordon Freeman is a silent protagonist, the cast of characters around him, who make up the resistance efforts against the Combine empire, are choice. Check out how seamlessly the writers conveyed key plot points, introduced characters and set the tone for the game in this early chapter.

3. Mass Effect series

Bioware’s epic science fiction trilogy details Commander Shepard’s fight to save organic life from the threat of the Reapers. The series dominated the lifespan of the past console generation. Over the course of the three Mass Effect games, your crewmates grow into fully developed characters, with their own insights and opinions about the conflict. The way the games build loyalty and companionship (and yes, romances) all stems from the great writing. For example, you can see the interplay between Shepard and Garrus in this laid-back moment from the final game.

4. Borderlands 2

From Handsome Jack's cavalier violence to Claptrap's hilarious running commentary, Borderlands 2 carried the first game’s legacy to new heights. The ongoing story of Vault Hunter’s efforts to stop the Hyperion Corporation’s takeover of Pandora has a sharper edge and bite in the sequel.

5. World of Warcraft

Since 2004, World of Warcraft has sucked millions of gamers into the realm of Azeroth. The game runs the gamut with ease, from serious political intrigue to lighthearted screwball comedy. In more recent expansions, things got vastly more clever as the writers envisioned new ways to delight players. Plus, the different character dialogues offer comic relief between all the quests. For a taste, check out the impressive flirtation skills of the Horde fellows.

6. Saints Row series

Warning: Language NSFW

It may take a particular brand of offbeat humor to really dig the Saints Row series. Originally a Grand Theft Auto clone, the franchise has blossomed into its own flavor of crude, crass, ridiculous delight. As the boss of the notorious Saints gang, you lead a team of brilliant and often unstable homies to take down your enemies. In the fourth and most recent installment of the series, your nemesis is Zinyak, an eloquent alien with a penchant for Jane Austen (he even reads the first chapter on one of the radio stations). You’re also the most foul-mouthed and irreverent president the country has ever seen.

7. Monkey Island series

If you’ve been gaming for a long time, you’ll surely remember the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood. His mishaps and missions around the Caribbean first appeared in 1990, in The Secret of Monkey Island and carried through the following four titles in the series. The puzzle games won hearts for their tongue-in-cheek humor and references to contemporary pop culture. The silly writing, player asides and general goofy vibe secured Monkey Island a spot on our list and in players’ hearts.

8. Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar is best known for sweeping epics, and Red Dead Redemption takes that mindset into the fictional wild west. The development of lead character John Marston is surprisingly nuanced for a game of this scale, and the dialogue captures the tone of this troubled time in history. The ending also adds an unexpected emotional development to the final act.

Video game developers are pushing to tell more and more complex stories, and great writing is crucial to executing that vision. When a smart script gets matched with strong gameplay and visuals, it’s easy to see why video games are an art form in their own right.

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